Whild added: "In fact, all three of them were in the same situation 12 months ago when I came back in. None of them were in the team and now they've all moved on and bettered themselves. It just shows the strength of players in the Conference. And Marvin could go on again. It wouldn't surprise me.

"Motherwell had watched him over a period of time, and there was interest from Notts County and Luton too. But it was the lure of playing at a good level, playing against the likes of Celtic."

Johnson takes the high road

Marvin Johnson has joined an increasingly well-trodden trail to Scotland, following in the footsteps of former Harriers team-mate Jamie Vincent who, along with Hereford United winger Marley Watkins, went to Inverness Caledonian Thistle two summers ago. There are currently 60 English players on the books at Scottish Premier League clubs.

The departure of Blissett, Dunkley and Johnson follows moves last summer for Micky Demetriou and Lee Vaughan, who both stepped up to the Football League with Shrewsbury and Cheltenham respectively.

It further completes the now almost total fragmentation (only keeper Danny Lewis remains a regular) of the Harriers team who came so close to winning promotion back to the Football League under Steve Burr and Whild, then the number two at Aggborough, in 2013.

But Whild has rebuilt during the January window, concentrating on reinforcements up front, having brought in three strikers, Lee Hughes, from Forest Green, Danny Wright, from Gateshead, and Dominic Knowles, on loan from Burton Albion.

Hughes' return, at the age of 38, to the place where it all began for him 20 years ago could prove the key as the Harriers bid to keep this season's Conference play-off bid on course.

"We need to start taking some of the chances we're creating," said Whild. "Lee's always been prolific wherever he's been. He sees himself back here trying to help the younger lads, as scoring his fair share of goals."